http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iiA0rincFcZASFgTSP_5-fRup7iQD93RO3UO0
First $1,000 Super Bowl tickets
10-16-8
NEW YORK (AP) — The official price of Super Bowl tickets will reach $1,000 for the first time this season.
The NFL confirmed Thursday that 25 percent of the tickets for the Feb. 1 game in Tampa will be priced at $1,000. It also announced it will drop the price of 1,000 tickets at Raymond James Stadium by $200 to $500, the first time the league has cut prices for a Super Bowl.
Tickets for last year's game in Glendale, Ariz., between the New England Patriots and New York Giants were priced at $700 and $900, up from $600 and $700 the year before.
Overall, the official price for 17,000 suite and club seats will be $1,000 each. Another 53,000 tickets will go for $800, with the remaining 1,000 at $500.
At last year's game, the average price of tickets on StubHub, the online resellers, was $4,300.
Ticket prices for the first Super Bowl, played at the Los Angeles Coliseum 43 years ago, were $6, $10 and $12. They went over the $100 mark in 1988 and have increased regularly since.
Showing posts with label New York Giants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New York Giants. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Sadly, one play defined Merkle's career, life
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3604289
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Sadly, one play defined Merkle's career, life
By Ed Sherman
Special to ESPN.com
WATERTOWN, Wis. -- Fred Merkle was born in Watertown, Wis., in 1888, but he spent only one year there before his family moved to Toledo, Ohio.
Still, that didn't prevent Watertown resident David Stalker from claiming Merkle as the town's very own. He spearheaded an effort to erect a monument in Merkle's honor.
Set in black marble with a baseball perched on top, the monument notes that Merkle was a "potent line-drive hitter and agile first-baseman." It says he was a member of six World Series teams.
However, there is no mention on the monument of the play that earned Merkle a spot in baseball infamy. The inscription boasts of Merkle's "intelligence" on the field, seemingly a contradiction for a player whose nickname was "Bonehead."
"We want the average person to see Fred Merkle for who he really was," Stalker said. "There was much more to his career than just one play."
Yet as Bill Buckner discovered in the cruelest way possible, one play can define a career. Prior to Buckner and the ball-between-the-legs grounder that ended Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, there was Merkle, the goat of goats.
Tuesday marks the 100th anniversary of the play that forever cemented Merkle's legacy in baseball. The Chicago Cubs and New York Giants were locked in a dramatic pennant race when they met on Sept. 23, 1908.
With the game tied 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth, Merkle, who had singled, was on first base and Moose McCormick was on third. With two outs, Al Bridwell then hit an apparent single to drive in McCormick with what seemed the winning run.
It looked to be a huge victory for the Giants, and jubilant fans mobbed the field at the Polo Grounds. But in the commotion, Cubs second baseman Johnny Evers noticed Merkle never touched second base.
Evers frantically waved for the ball, and there's considerable dispute about whether he actually got the game ball. Evers then stepped on second and umpire Hank O'Day called Merkle out on a force, thus nullifying the Giants' run. Keep in mind, this was the same umpire who let a similar play stand up when a base runner didn't touch second at the conclusion of a game earlier in the month.
Despite O'Day's ruling, the game couldn't go on because of all the fans on the field, and it was declared a 1-1 tie. Merkle's nightmare then was compounded when the Cubs and Giants finished the regular season tied. The Cubs won the one-game playoff to win the pennant, propelling them to their last World Series title.
Merkle, who was only 19 at the time, was vilified. The Sporting News, the game's official bible back then, wrote of "the stupidity of Fred Merkle." Newspapers quickly labeled him "Bonehead."
Merkle went on to become a decent player during a 16-year career, finishing with a .273 average. He had 49 stolen bases in 1911, an impressive total considering he was 6-foot and 190 pounds.
Yet Merkle never seemed to get over the top. He was on the losing side of six World Series. When he was blamed for a botched popup that helped cost the Giants the 1912 World Series, the headlines blared, "Bonehead Merkle does it again."
"Sometimes it looks like the Cubs and Merkle got jinxed at the same time," Stalker said.
That day in 1908 forever haunted Merkle and his family. After he retired and moved the family to Daytona Beach, Fla., his daughter came home from school and asked why the kids were calling her "Bonehead."
Once a visiting minister in his church began by saying, "I want to begin by admitting an ugly secret. I am from Toledo, Ohio, birthplace of the infamous Fred 'Bonehead' Merkle."
Merkle promptly walked out.
The pain ran deep for Merkle. Stalker has a collection of photos of Merkle on display in his basement.
"Look, you can see the torture in his eyes," Stalker said. "Right after it happened, he lost his hair and weight. [During the playoff game] he was sitting in the dugout saying 'I'm sorry. It's my fault.'"
But was Merkle truly at fault? Keith Olbermann is among those who say no.
Olbermann, formerly of ESPN and now the host of "Countdown" on MSNBC, has been interested in Merkle's case for more than 30 years. He has proposed Sept. 23 be a national day of amnesty in Merkle's memory, but not because he did something wrong.
"I was struck by the finality of it," Olbermann said. "He does something everybody did, for their own safety, as a game ended. He was the first player on whom the rule was ever enforced and he never lived it down."
Indeed, the real goat might have been O'Day, the umpire. No less than Hall of Fame umpire Bill Klem delivered a stinging indictment.
"Evers talked a great umpire into making the rottenest decision in the history of baseball," Klem said.
The damage, though, was done. Olbermann doubts Merkle will ever be vindicated.
"The goat story is still easier, and more compelling, than the story of the poor rookie victimized by a rule that was never enforced," Olbermann said.
As fate would have it, the Cubs will be in New York on Tuesday to play the Mets. Olbermann plans to attend the game.
"I have to be there," Olbermann said. "I've never believed the Cubs didn't curse themselves by playing that rule on poor Fred. [The Cubs have had] a century of bad luck, meaning something abysmal is likely to happen to the Cubs [on Tuesday], especially since somebody scheduled them to be in New York."
When Merkle retired in 1926, he was so bitter he wanted nothing to do with baseball. It wasn't until 1950 that he returned to a big league park.
Merkle had to be talked into attending an Old-Timers' Game at the Polo Grounds. Even after all these years, he was fearful of how the fans would treat him.
Perhaps the fans remembered the good things he did for the Giants, or perhaps they felt sorry for his plight, but they gave him a loud ovation.
"He had an impressive career," Stalker said. "That's what he should be remembered for."
Oh, if that were only the case. What happened 100 years ago Tuesday even had an impact on his final resting place.
Merkle once cracked, "I suppose when I die, they'll put on my tombstone, 'Here lies Bonehead Merkle.'"
They never got the chance. When he died in 1956 at the age of 67, he was buried in an unmarked grave.
Ed Sherman was a longtime sportswriter for the Chicago Tribune.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Sadly, one play defined Merkle's career, life
By Ed Sherman
Special to ESPN.com
WATERTOWN, Wis. -- Fred Merkle was born in Watertown, Wis., in 1888, but he spent only one year there before his family moved to Toledo, Ohio.
Still, that didn't prevent Watertown resident David Stalker from claiming Merkle as the town's very own. He spearheaded an effort to erect a monument in Merkle's honor.
Set in black marble with a baseball perched on top, the monument notes that Merkle was a "potent line-drive hitter and agile first-baseman." It says he was a member of six World Series teams.
However, there is no mention on the monument of the play that earned Merkle a spot in baseball infamy. The inscription boasts of Merkle's "intelligence" on the field, seemingly a contradiction for a player whose nickname was "Bonehead."
"We want the average person to see Fred Merkle for who he really was," Stalker said. "There was much more to his career than just one play."
Yet as Bill Buckner discovered in the cruelest way possible, one play can define a career. Prior to Buckner and the ball-between-the-legs grounder that ended Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, there was Merkle, the goat of goats.
Tuesday marks the 100th anniversary of the play that forever cemented Merkle's legacy in baseball. The Chicago Cubs and New York Giants were locked in a dramatic pennant race when they met on Sept. 23, 1908.
With the game tied 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth, Merkle, who had singled, was on first base and Moose McCormick was on third. With two outs, Al Bridwell then hit an apparent single to drive in McCormick with what seemed the winning run.
It looked to be a huge victory for the Giants, and jubilant fans mobbed the field at the Polo Grounds. But in the commotion, Cubs second baseman Johnny Evers noticed Merkle never touched second base.
Evers frantically waved for the ball, and there's considerable dispute about whether he actually got the game ball. Evers then stepped on second and umpire Hank O'Day called Merkle out on a force, thus nullifying the Giants' run. Keep in mind, this was the same umpire who let a similar play stand up when a base runner didn't touch second at the conclusion of a game earlier in the month.
Despite O'Day's ruling, the game couldn't go on because of all the fans on the field, and it was declared a 1-1 tie. Merkle's nightmare then was compounded when the Cubs and Giants finished the regular season tied. The Cubs won the one-game playoff to win the pennant, propelling them to their last World Series title.
Merkle, who was only 19 at the time, was vilified. The Sporting News, the game's official bible back then, wrote of "the stupidity of Fred Merkle." Newspapers quickly labeled him "Bonehead."
Merkle went on to become a decent player during a 16-year career, finishing with a .273 average. He had 49 stolen bases in 1911, an impressive total considering he was 6-foot and 190 pounds.
Yet Merkle never seemed to get over the top. He was on the losing side of six World Series. When he was blamed for a botched popup that helped cost the Giants the 1912 World Series, the headlines blared, "Bonehead Merkle does it again."
"Sometimes it looks like the Cubs and Merkle got jinxed at the same time," Stalker said.
That day in 1908 forever haunted Merkle and his family. After he retired and moved the family to Daytona Beach, Fla., his daughter came home from school and asked why the kids were calling her "Bonehead."
Once a visiting minister in his church began by saying, "I want to begin by admitting an ugly secret. I am from Toledo, Ohio, birthplace of the infamous Fred 'Bonehead' Merkle."
Merkle promptly walked out.
The pain ran deep for Merkle. Stalker has a collection of photos of Merkle on display in his basement.
"Look, you can see the torture in his eyes," Stalker said. "Right after it happened, he lost his hair and weight. [During the playoff game] he was sitting in the dugout saying 'I'm sorry. It's my fault.'"
But was Merkle truly at fault? Keith Olbermann is among those who say no.
Olbermann, formerly of ESPN and now the host of "Countdown" on MSNBC, has been interested in Merkle's case for more than 30 years. He has proposed Sept. 23 be a national day of amnesty in Merkle's memory, but not because he did something wrong.
"I was struck by the finality of it," Olbermann said. "He does something everybody did, for their own safety, as a game ended. He was the first player on whom the rule was ever enforced and he never lived it down."
Indeed, the real goat might have been O'Day, the umpire. No less than Hall of Fame umpire Bill Klem delivered a stinging indictment.
"Evers talked a great umpire into making the rottenest decision in the history of baseball," Klem said.
The damage, though, was done. Olbermann doubts Merkle will ever be vindicated.
"The goat story is still easier, and more compelling, than the story of the poor rookie victimized by a rule that was never enforced," Olbermann said.
As fate would have it, the Cubs will be in New York on Tuesday to play the Mets. Olbermann plans to attend the game.
"I have to be there," Olbermann said. "I've never believed the Cubs didn't curse themselves by playing that rule on poor Fred. [The Cubs have had] a century of bad luck, meaning something abysmal is likely to happen to the Cubs [on Tuesday], especially since somebody scheduled them to be in New York."
When Merkle retired in 1926, he was so bitter he wanted nothing to do with baseball. It wasn't until 1950 that he returned to a big league park.
Merkle had to be talked into attending an Old-Timers' Game at the Polo Grounds. Even after all these years, he was fearful of how the fans would treat him.
Perhaps the fans remembered the good things he did for the Giants, or perhaps they felt sorry for his plight, but they gave him a loud ovation.
"He had an impressive career," Stalker said. "That's what he should be remembered for."
Oh, if that were only the case. What happened 100 years ago Tuesday even had an impact on his final resting place.
Merkle once cracked, "I suppose when I die, they'll put on my tombstone, 'Here lies Bonehead Merkle.'"
They never got the chance. When he died in 1956 at the age of 67, he was buried in an unmarked grave.
Ed Sherman was a longtime sportswriter for the Chicago Tribune.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Brady's Season Appears Over
http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/nflnewsfeed/2008/09/bradys-season-appears-over.html
Brady's Season Appears Over
By Mark Maske
September 7, 2008
An NFL source said tonight the New England Patriots believe they have lost quarterback Tom Brady for the remainder of the season with a serious knee injury.
The Patriots are resigned to the fact that Brady likely suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and perhaps other damage in his left knee during today's game against the Kansas City Chiefs, said the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss Brady's condition publicly.
Brady exited the game after taking a hit to the knee and was replaced by backup Matt Cassel.
Cassel finished the game, won by the Patriots.
He probably would become the Patriots' starter if Brady indeed is sidelined.
Brady, a three-time Super Bowl winner, is coming off one of the best seasons that a quarterback ever has had. He threw 50 touchdown passes and only eight interceptions during the regular season last year while the Patriots went 16-0. He was named the league's most valuable player but fell short of a fourth career Super Bowl title when the Patriots were upset in the Super Bowl by the New York Giants.
He has been beset by a series of injuries beginning with the AFC title game last season, when he suffered a high ankle sprain on his right leg. He was sidelined for this entire preseason because of a sore right foot, and now comes this injury.
Brady was hurt when he was hit by Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard after delivering a throw.
Free agent quarterback Chris Simms, released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their final round of roster cuts, is scheduled to work out for the Patriots on Monday and could be signed by day's end. The Patriots also could consider free agent Tim Rattay, a source said.
Brady's Season Appears Over
By Mark Maske
September 7, 2008
An NFL source said tonight the New England Patriots believe they have lost quarterback Tom Brady for the remainder of the season with a serious knee injury.
The Patriots are resigned to the fact that Brady likely suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and perhaps other damage in his left knee during today's game against the Kansas City Chiefs, said the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss Brady's condition publicly.
Brady exited the game after taking a hit to the knee and was replaced by backup Matt Cassel.
Cassel finished the game, won by the Patriots.
He probably would become the Patriots' starter if Brady indeed is sidelined.
Brady, a three-time Super Bowl winner, is coming off one of the best seasons that a quarterback ever has had. He threw 50 touchdown passes and only eight interceptions during the regular season last year while the Patriots went 16-0. He was named the league's most valuable player but fell short of a fourth career Super Bowl title when the Patriots were upset in the Super Bowl by the New York Giants.
He has been beset by a series of injuries beginning with the AFC title game last season, when he suffered a high ankle sprain on his right leg. He was sidelined for this entire preseason because of a sore right foot, and now comes this injury.
Brady was hurt when he was hit by Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard after delivering a throw.
Free agent quarterback Chris Simms, released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their final round of roster cuts, is scheduled to work out for the Patriots on Monday and could be signed by day's end. The Patriots also could consider free agent Tim Rattay, a source said.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Giants tout Tiffany-made Super Bowl ring
http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2008/04/02/afx4844774.html
Giants tout Tiffany-made Super Bowl ring
04.02.08
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - Big Upset. Big Super Bowl ring.
The New York Giants unveiled the design of their Super Bowl championship ring on Tuesday, a white gold sparkler that will feature about 1.5 carats in diamonds.
The new ring will even make seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Strahan happy.
Shortly after New York won the championship with a 17-14 win over the previously undefeated New England Patriots, Strahan said he wanted a '10-table ring.'
Loosely defined: He wanted a ring that could be seen 10 tables away in a restaurant.
'There was some discussion about maybe one of the rings was too big,' said center Shaun O'Hara, who was among group of players and team executives who designed the ring with officials from Tiffany and Co.
'I threw out the fact that it was a big win, it was a huge win, so the ring should be designed accordingly,' O'Hara said. 'Michael said it best when he said he wanted a 10-table ring. I think everybody is going to be very pleased with the design. It is very clean, very classy, but at the same time it is very strong.'
The ring's top is covered in diamonds and features three Super Bowl trophies accented with marquise diamonds signifying the Giants' Super Bowl XXI, XXV and XLII victories. The team's 'NY' logo is in bead set round diamonds, while 'World Champions' is emblazoned in raised letters on the top and bottom bezel, with channel set diamonds on left and right bezel.
The ring's shanks celebrate the Giants' season, noting the team's 'Eleven Straight on the Road,' an NFL record; the NFL shield; and player name, along with player number in raised letters appear on one shank.
The final score, 'Super Bowl XLII,' date (02.03.08) and 'AZ' appear on the other shank.
Giants spokesman Pat Hanlon would not disclose the price of the ring.
Tiffany has previously created Super Bowl championship rings for the Washington Redskins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The company annually creates the NFL Vince Lombardi Super Bowl Trophy at its workshop in Parsippany, about 30 minutes from Giants Stadium.
The rings will be presented to the Giants players and coaches at a ceremony later in the spring.
Giants tout Tiffany-made Super Bowl ring
04.02.08
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - Big Upset. Big Super Bowl ring.
The New York Giants unveiled the design of their Super Bowl championship ring on Tuesday, a white gold sparkler that will feature about 1.5 carats in diamonds.
The new ring will even make seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Strahan happy.
Shortly after New York won the championship with a 17-14 win over the previously undefeated New England Patriots, Strahan said he wanted a '10-table ring.'
Loosely defined: He wanted a ring that could be seen 10 tables away in a restaurant.
'There was some discussion about maybe one of the rings was too big,' said center Shaun O'Hara, who was among group of players and team executives who designed the ring with officials from Tiffany and Co.
'I threw out the fact that it was a big win, it was a huge win, so the ring should be designed accordingly,' O'Hara said. 'Michael said it best when he said he wanted a 10-table ring. I think everybody is going to be very pleased with the design. It is very clean, very classy, but at the same time it is very strong.'
The ring's top is covered in diamonds and features three Super Bowl trophies accented with marquise diamonds signifying the Giants' Super Bowl XXI, XXV and XLII victories. The team's 'NY' logo is in bead set round diamonds, while 'World Champions' is emblazoned in raised letters on the top and bottom bezel, with channel set diamonds on left and right bezel.
The ring's shanks celebrate the Giants' season, noting the team's 'Eleven Straight on the Road,' an NFL record; the NFL shield; and player name, along with player number in raised letters appear on one shank.
The final score, 'Super Bowl XLII,' date (02.03.08) and 'AZ' appear on the other shank.
Giants spokesman Pat Hanlon would not disclose the price of the ring.
Tiffany has previously created Super Bowl championship rings for the Washington Redskins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The company annually creates the NFL Vince Lombardi Super Bowl Trophy at its workshop in Parsippany, about 30 minutes from Giants Stadium.
The rings will be presented to the Giants players and coaches at a ceremony later in the spring.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Favre decides to call it a career
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7870944/Favre-decides-to-call-it-a-career
Favre decides to call it a career
Associated Press
March 4, 2008
After flirting with retirement for years, Brett Favre means it this time. The Green Bay Packers quarterback quit after a 17-season career in which he dazzled fans with his grit, heart and rocket of an arm.
Hanging them up
Brett Favre
Green Bay Packers
Quarterback
G GS Comp Att Yds TD Int
257 253 5,377 8,758 61,655 442 288
The retirement was first reported by FOXSports.com's Jay Glazer.
"I know I can still play, but it's like I told my wife, I'm just tired mentally. I'm just tired," Favre said.
Tuesday's surprise move comes after the 38-year-old three-time MVP set several league records, including most career touchdown passes, in one of his most successful seasons.
Coach Mike McCarthy said Favre informed him of the decision by telephone Monday night.
"He said it was time for him to hang up the cleats," McCarthy said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon. "He's mentally tired, with all the little things that go into everyday preparation."
Favre's agent, Bus Cook, also learned of his decision Monday night.
"Nobody pushed Brett Favre out the door, but then nobody encouraged him not to go out that door, either," Cook told The Associated Press by phone from his Hattiesburg, Miss., office.
Packers general manager Ted Thompson thanked Favre for 16 years of wonderful memories with the team.
"His accomplishments are legendary," Thompson said. "And it's the passion with which he played that made everyone a Brett Favre fan."
The team hasn't said when Favre might address the media.
Favre led the Packers to the NFC championship game in January, but his interception in overtime set up the New York Giants' winning field goal.
"If I felt like coming back — and Deanna (Favre's wife) and I talked about this — the only way for me to be successful would be to win a Super Bowl," Favre said. "To go to the Super Bowl and lose, would almost be worse than anything else. Anything less than a Super Bowl win would be unsuccessful."
Last season, Favre broke Dan Marino's career records for most touchdown passes and most yards passing and John Elway's record for most career victories by a starting quarterback.
He retires with 5,377 career completions in 8,758 attempts for 61,655 yards, 442 touchdowns and 288 interceptions.
"He was the prototypical gun-slinger type," said Marv Levy, Pro Football Hall of Fame coach. "He's the type of guy where, 'Oh, what's he throwing into that crowd for?' But he had intuition, toughness, resilience."
Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman wondered if Favre's decision was final.
"As the season gets closer, I wouldn't be surprised at all if he changes his mind," said Aikman, a Fox analyst who played 12 years with the Dallas Cowboys.
The news stunned many.
"I was surprised when I heard it this morning," former Packers general manager Ron Wolf said. "He played with such a great passion. He must have figured he no longer had that passion, and it was time to get out."
Even Favre's teammates didn't see it coming.
"I just saw it come across the TV," Packers wide receiver Koren Robinson said, when reached on his cell phone by The Associated Press.
In his final season, Favre also extended his quarterback-record streak of consecutive regular-season starts to 253 games - illustrating his trademark toughness. Add the playoffs, and Favre's streak stands at 275.
In the past several offseasons, Favre's indecision about his football future became a winter tradition in Wisconsin, with Cheeseheads hanging on his every word.
Unlike after the 2006 season — when Favre choked up in a television interview as he walked off the field in Chicago, only to return once again — nearly everyone assumed he would be back next season.
It was a remarkable turnaround from 2005, Favre's final season under former head coach Mike Sherman, when he threw a career-worst 29 interceptions as the Packers went 4-12.
Surrounded by an underrated group of wide receivers who proved hard to tackle after the catch, Favre had a career-high completion percentage of 66.5. He threw for 4,155 yards, 28 touchdowns and only 15 interceptions.
Before the Packers' Jan. 12 divisional playoff game against Seattle, Favre told his hometown newspaper that he wasn't approaching the game as if it would be his last and was more optimistic than in years past about returning.
"For the first time in three years, I haven't thought this could be my last game," Favre told the Biloxi (Miss.) Sun Herald. "I would like to continue longer."
But Favre finished the season on a sour note, struggling in subzero temperatures in a 23-20 overtime loss to the New York Giants in the NFC championship game.
Afterward, Favre was noncommittal on his future. McCarthy said he wanted Favre to take a step back from the season before making a decision.
Now he has — to walk away.
"The Packers owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude," Thompson said. "The uniqueness of Brett Favre his personality, charisma and love of the game - undoubtedly will leave him as one of the enduring figures in NFL history."
Favre decides to call it a career
Associated Press
March 4, 2008
After flirting with retirement for years, Brett Favre means it this time. The Green Bay Packers quarterback quit after a 17-season career in which he dazzled fans with his grit, heart and rocket of an arm.
Hanging them up
Brett Favre
Green Bay Packers
Quarterback
G GS Comp Att Yds TD Int
257 253 5,377 8,758 61,655 442 288
The retirement was first reported by FOXSports.com's Jay Glazer.
"I know I can still play, but it's like I told my wife, I'm just tired mentally. I'm just tired," Favre said.
Tuesday's surprise move comes after the 38-year-old three-time MVP set several league records, including most career touchdown passes, in one of his most successful seasons.
Coach Mike McCarthy said Favre informed him of the decision by telephone Monday night.
"He said it was time for him to hang up the cleats," McCarthy said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon. "He's mentally tired, with all the little things that go into everyday preparation."
Favre's agent, Bus Cook, also learned of his decision Monday night.
"Nobody pushed Brett Favre out the door, but then nobody encouraged him not to go out that door, either," Cook told The Associated Press by phone from his Hattiesburg, Miss., office.
Packers general manager Ted Thompson thanked Favre for 16 years of wonderful memories with the team.
"His accomplishments are legendary," Thompson said. "And it's the passion with which he played that made everyone a Brett Favre fan."
The team hasn't said when Favre might address the media.
Favre led the Packers to the NFC championship game in January, but his interception in overtime set up the New York Giants' winning field goal.
"If I felt like coming back — and Deanna (Favre's wife) and I talked about this — the only way for me to be successful would be to win a Super Bowl," Favre said. "To go to the Super Bowl and lose, would almost be worse than anything else. Anything less than a Super Bowl win would be unsuccessful."
Last season, Favre broke Dan Marino's career records for most touchdown passes and most yards passing and John Elway's record for most career victories by a starting quarterback.
He retires with 5,377 career completions in 8,758 attempts for 61,655 yards, 442 touchdowns and 288 interceptions.
"He was the prototypical gun-slinger type," said Marv Levy, Pro Football Hall of Fame coach. "He's the type of guy where, 'Oh, what's he throwing into that crowd for?' But he had intuition, toughness, resilience."
Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman wondered if Favre's decision was final.
"As the season gets closer, I wouldn't be surprised at all if he changes his mind," said Aikman, a Fox analyst who played 12 years with the Dallas Cowboys.
The news stunned many.
"I was surprised when I heard it this morning," former Packers general manager Ron Wolf said. "He played with such a great passion. He must have figured he no longer had that passion, and it was time to get out."
Even Favre's teammates didn't see it coming.
"I just saw it come across the TV," Packers wide receiver Koren Robinson said, when reached on his cell phone by The Associated Press.
In his final season, Favre also extended his quarterback-record streak of consecutive regular-season starts to 253 games - illustrating his trademark toughness. Add the playoffs, and Favre's streak stands at 275.
In the past several offseasons, Favre's indecision about his football future became a winter tradition in Wisconsin, with Cheeseheads hanging on his every word.
Unlike after the 2006 season — when Favre choked up in a television interview as he walked off the field in Chicago, only to return once again — nearly everyone assumed he would be back next season.
It was a remarkable turnaround from 2005, Favre's final season under former head coach Mike Sherman, when he threw a career-worst 29 interceptions as the Packers went 4-12.
Surrounded by an underrated group of wide receivers who proved hard to tackle after the catch, Favre had a career-high completion percentage of 66.5. He threw for 4,155 yards, 28 touchdowns and only 15 interceptions.
Before the Packers' Jan. 12 divisional playoff game against Seattle, Favre told his hometown newspaper that he wasn't approaching the game as if it would be his last and was more optimistic than in years past about returning.
"For the first time in three years, I haven't thought this could be my last game," Favre told the Biloxi (Miss.) Sun Herald. "I would like to continue longer."
But Favre finished the season on a sour note, struggling in subzero temperatures in a 23-20 overtime loss to the New York Giants in the NFC championship game.
Afterward, Favre was noncommittal on his future. McCarthy said he wanted Favre to take a step back from the season before making a decision.
Now he has — to walk away.
"The Packers owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude," Thompson said. "The uniqueness of Brett Favre his personality, charisma and love of the game - undoubtedly will leave him as one of the enduring figures in NFL history."
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Patriots bring back Moss for another try at title
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-patriots-moss
Patriots bring back Moss for another try at title
By JIMMY GOLEN, AP Sports Writer
Mar 3, 2008
BOSTON (AP)—Randy Moss is staying with the New England Patriots.
The defending AFC champions re-signed the record-breaking receiver on Monday to a three-year deal worth $27 million, his agent said. The signing was confirmed by the team shortly after Moss posted a message to fans on his Web site.
“I want to take time out to thank all of the fans for their support and for wishing me well in my return to New England,” therealrandymoss.com quotes him as saying. “I’m ready to get back. We have some unfinished business to take care of.”
Moss’ agent, Tim DiPiero, said the deal included guarantees of $15 million, including a $12 million signing bonus to the receiver who set an NFL record with 23 touchdown catches and helped the Patriots reach the Super Bowl in his first season with the team.
“Randy was serious about wanting to stay,” DiPiero wrote in an e-mail. “Because of Randy’s record-breaking year, the interest in him was very high. Randy took less than he could have to rejoin his teammates.”
Pairing Moss with NFL MVP Tom Brady, who broke the league record with 50 touchdown passes, the Patriots breezed through the regular season with a perfect 16-0 record. They improved to an unprecedented 18-0 before blowing a chance at the league’s longest unbeaten season with a 17-14 Super Bowl loss to the New York Giants.
“What Randy did for our team last year was outstanding,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said in a statement. “He is one of our most consistent, competitive and team-oriented players and it is undoubtedly a relationship we are excited to continue.”
Moss, 31, has caught 774 passes for 12,193 yards in a 10-year career, and his 124 career receiving touchdowns are fourth in NFL history.
A four-time All-Pro, Moss took a pay cut to get out of Oakland and come to New England last April in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick. In addition to his 23 touchdowns, he caught 98 passes for 1,493 yards and largely avoided the type of turmoil that characterized his previous NFL stops.
During seven years with Minnesota, where he made five Pro Bowls, he was fined $10,000 for pretending to pull down his pants and moon the Green Bay crowd during a Vikings playoff win, and drew criticism for leaving the field with 2 seconds left in a loss to Washington.
He also bumped a traffic control officer with his car in 2002, verbally abused corporate sponsors on a team bus in 2001 and squirted an official with a water bottle in 1999.
In Oakland, he openly campaigned to be traded to a winning team. With the Patriots, he avoided controversy until the playoffs, when a woman sought a restraining order against him, claiming that he committed “battery causing serious injury.”
Moss denied the allegation and said the woman was trying to get money from him.
Also Monday, the Patriots signed free agent receiver Sam Aiken.
The 27-year-old has played five seasons with the Buffalo Bills with 19 career receptions for 250 yards and 61 career special teams tackles.
“Competing against Sam many times over the years, we know firsthand what he brings to us,” Belichick said.
Patriots bring back Moss for another try at title
By JIMMY GOLEN, AP Sports Writer
Mar 3, 2008
BOSTON (AP)—Randy Moss is staying with the New England Patriots.
The defending AFC champions re-signed the record-breaking receiver on Monday to a three-year deal worth $27 million, his agent said. The signing was confirmed by the team shortly after Moss posted a message to fans on his Web site.
“I want to take time out to thank all of the fans for their support and for wishing me well in my return to New England,” therealrandymoss.com quotes him as saying. “I’m ready to get back. We have some unfinished business to take care of.”
Moss’ agent, Tim DiPiero, said the deal included guarantees of $15 million, including a $12 million signing bonus to the receiver who set an NFL record with 23 touchdown catches and helped the Patriots reach the Super Bowl in his first season with the team.
“Randy was serious about wanting to stay,” DiPiero wrote in an e-mail. “Because of Randy’s record-breaking year, the interest in him was very high. Randy took less than he could have to rejoin his teammates.”
Pairing Moss with NFL MVP Tom Brady, who broke the league record with 50 touchdown passes, the Patriots breezed through the regular season with a perfect 16-0 record. They improved to an unprecedented 18-0 before blowing a chance at the league’s longest unbeaten season with a 17-14 Super Bowl loss to the New York Giants.
“What Randy did for our team last year was outstanding,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said in a statement. “He is one of our most consistent, competitive and team-oriented players and it is undoubtedly a relationship we are excited to continue.”
Moss, 31, has caught 774 passes for 12,193 yards in a 10-year career, and his 124 career receiving touchdowns are fourth in NFL history.
A four-time All-Pro, Moss took a pay cut to get out of Oakland and come to New England last April in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick. In addition to his 23 touchdowns, he caught 98 passes for 1,493 yards and largely avoided the type of turmoil that characterized his previous NFL stops.
During seven years with Minnesota, where he made five Pro Bowls, he was fined $10,000 for pretending to pull down his pants and moon the Green Bay crowd during a Vikings playoff win, and drew criticism for leaving the field with 2 seconds left in a loss to Washington.
He also bumped a traffic control officer with his car in 2002, verbally abused corporate sponsors on a team bus in 2001 and squirted an official with a water bottle in 1999.
In Oakland, he openly campaigned to be traded to a winning team. With the Patriots, he avoided controversy until the playoffs, when a woman sought a restraining order against him, claiming that he committed “battery causing serious injury.”
Moss denied the allegation and said the woman was trying to get money from him.
Also Monday, the Patriots signed free agent receiver Sam Aiken.
The 27-year-old has played five seasons with the Buffalo Bills with 19 career receptions for 250 yards and 61 career special teams tackles.
“Competing against Sam many times over the years, we know firsthand what he brings to us,” Belichick said.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Bill Belichick would rather be elsewhere
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/nfl_experts/post/If-he-s-going-to-lose-Bill-Belichick-would-rath
If he's going to lose, Bill Belichick would rather be elsewhere
By MJD
Sunday, Feb 3, 2008
On more than one occasion this year, Bill Belichick and the Patriots have run up the score on an overmatched opponent, and forced an opposing coach to sit there and watch his beaten team go through the motions while their heineys were being handed to them.
But when the shoe's on the other foot, and Bill Belichick's team has been beaten, he can't sit there and take the pain for a few seconds.
With :01 left on the clock, and his team just having failed on a last chance 4th down effort, Bill Belichick ran onto the field for a quick handshake, and then bolted for the locker room. Belichick's an important guy and everything, but I wasn't aware that the league had given him the authority to decide when games end.
There's time left on the clock, his team's been humbled, outplayed, and lost their chance at history ... and Bill Belichick doesn't have the stomach to sit there and absorb the pain until the clock read 0:00.
That's unsportsmanlike at best, disrespectful at least, and at worst, it makes him a big sissy.
Because Bill Belichick wanted to go hide when he lost, the field ended up being flooded with people, and the officials had to clear the area before the Giants could take their final snap and make it official. When you lose, you take your loss. You don't leave early because it makes you feel sad inside. Your opponent deserves more respect than that.
Anyone remember in 2004 when Randy Moss left the sidelines with two seconds left in a Vikings vs. Redskins game? Moss was selfish, a baby, a quitter, didn't respect his teammates, and didn't respect the game. Belichick just did the same thing, but did it on the biggest possible stage, and did it from the position of a leader of men.
Maybe there's something to be said for the inability to lose well ... most great winners don't lose well, and a sore loser is still a loser.
But still, if you're an adult, you finish out the game, and you give your opponents the stage and the respect they deserve.
Related: New England Patriots, New York Giants, Super Bowl XLII
If he's going to lose, Bill Belichick would rather be elsewhere
By MJD
Sunday, Feb 3, 2008
On more than one occasion this year, Bill Belichick and the Patriots have run up the score on an overmatched opponent, and forced an opposing coach to sit there and watch his beaten team go through the motions while their heineys were being handed to them.
But when the shoe's on the other foot, and Bill Belichick's team has been beaten, he can't sit there and take the pain for a few seconds.
With :01 left on the clock, and his team just having failed on a last chance 4th down effort, Bill Belichick ran onto the field for a quick handshake, and then bolted for the locker room. Belichick's an important guy and everything, but I wasn't aware that the league had given him the authority to decide when games end.
There's time left on the clock, his team's been humbled, outplayed, and lost their chance at history ... and Bill Belichick doesn't have the stomach to sit there and absorb the pain until the clock read 0:00.
That's unsportsmanlike at best, disrespectful at least, and at worst, it makes him a big sissy.
Because Bill Belichick wanted to go hide when he lost, the field ended up being flooded with people, and the officials had to clear the area before the Giants could take their final snap and make it official. When you lose, you take your loss. You don't leave early because it makes you feel sad inside. Your opponent deserves more respect than that.
Anyone remember in 2004 when Randy Moss left the sidelines with two seconds left in a Vikings vs. Redskins game? Moss was selfish, a baby, a quitter, didn't respect his teammates, and didn't respect the game. Belichick just did the same thing, but did it on the biggest possible stage, and did it from the position of a leader of men.
Maybe there's something to be said for the inability to lose well ... most great winners don't lose well, and a sore loser is still a loser.
But still, if you're an adult, you finish out the game, and you give your opponents the stage and the respect they deserve.
Related: New England Patriots, New York Giants, Super Bowl XLII
Friday, October 19, 2007
Super Bowl may someday be held in London
http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/10410478
Goodell: Super Bowl may someday be held in London
Oct. 15, 2007
CBSSports.com wire reports
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona -- A future NFL champion may someday be crowned overseas in a game witnessed predominantly by a foreign audience, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said.
"There's a great deal of interest in holding a Super Bowl in London," Goodell told reporters Monday. "So we'll be looking at that."
The commissioner said London's Wembley Stadium would make a great candidate for American pro football's biggest matchup, given the opening of the stadium's lastest incarnation and enthusiasm overseas for the game.
The NFL has been expanding its overseas presence for years by televising games around the world. It's held preseason games in numerous countries in Europe, Asia, Mexico and Canada, and in 2005, the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers played the first regular-season match outside the U.S.
The game at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City drew the league's largest crowd to date, 103,467.
On Oct. 28, Wembley will host the first regular-season NFL game outside North America. It took just 90 minutes to sell the first 40,000 tickets for the game between the Miami Dolphins and New York Giants. Goodell said event organizers have sold 95,000 tickets in all.
Goodell spoke about the possibility of a British Super Bowl after a luncheon Monday in Scottsdale sponsored by the host committee for the 2008 Super Bowl in Arizona.
Goodell: Super Bowl may someday be held in London
Oct. 15, 2007
CBSSports.com wire reports
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona -- A future NFL champion may someday be crowned overseas in a game witnessed predominantly by a foreign audience, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said.
"There's a great deal of interest in holding a Super Bowl in London," Goodell told reporters Monday. "So we'll be looking at that."
The commissioner said London's Wembley Stadium would make a great candidate for American pro football's biggest matchup, given the opening of the stadium's lastest incarnation and enthusiasm overseas for the game.
The NFL has been expanding its overseas presence for years by televising games around the world. It's held preseason games in numerous countries in Europe, Asia, Mexico and Canada, and in 2005, the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers played the first regular-season match outside the U.S.
The game at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City drew the league's largest crowd to date, 103,467.
On Oct. 28, Wembley will host the first regular-season NFL game outside North America. It took just 90 minutes to sell the first 40,000 tickets for the game between the Miami Dolphins and New York Giants. Goodell said event organizers have sold 95,000 tickets in all.
Goodell spoke about the possibility of a British Super Bowl after a luncheon Monday in Scottsdale sponsored by the host committee for the 2008 Super Bowl in Arizona.
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